About St. Joseph Health

SJH provides a full range of care facilities including 16 acute care hospitals,
home health agencies, hospice care, outpatient services, skilled nursing
facilities, community clinics and physician groups. All of our hospital
and home health entities are accredited by the Joint Commission. In our
award-winning facilities, SJH maintains a "continuum of care," matched
to the diverse needs of the urban centers, smaller cities and rural communities
who depend on us every day.

5 Ways to Revive Your Fitness Routine

If you’re like most everyone, you start every new fitness routine
with good intentions but run out of motivation somewhere along the way.
You try your best to stay interested by reminding yourself that summer
is coming but that’s just not enough some days. Don't give up,
because exercise is essential to achieving many health-related goals,
such as lowering the risk of heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Here are a few suggestions to help you get back into your fitness routine,
and stick to it:

Shake Things Up

Cardio, weights, shower, repeat. If your usual workout makes your eyes
glaze over while your body goes through the motions, it’s time to
try something new. Try a yoga or Zumba class at your local gym, snowshoeing
or hiking at a nearby wilderness area, or get involved in a morning boot
camp. Mixing up your activities will banish monotony. Focusing on activities
you enjoy will help take your mind off the fact that you are exercising,
and will make it easier to make exercise a part of your day.

Get Instant Gratification

Ok, it’s not exactly instant, but staying focused on small victories
along the way can help keep you excited about exercise. People who have
long-term goals are less likely to stick with a workout unless they allow
themselves a pat on the back for short-term wins along the way. Try to
increase the number of sit-ups or push-ups you do each workout. Increase
the incline on your treadmill and see how long or how fast you can go.
Think about achievable daily, weekly or monthly goals that will keep you
motivated and go for it.

Find Inspiration

Whether it’s your favorite movie clip or YouTube tutorial, find something
that motivates you and gets your adrenaline pumping. Visual stimulation
can serve as a powerful motivator, so find something that works for you
and bookmark it. If you find yourself hesitating before your next workout,
pull it up and set it to repeat.

Find a Partner

Working out is more fun when you have a partner. Not only do they push
you to do better through a bit of friendly competition, they help keep
you accountable as well. If you don’t show up to the gym, beach
or track, you’re letting your partner down. This alone can get you
out of bed in the morning.

Just Do It

When all else fails and you still don’t feel like working out, take
a deep breath and just do it anyway. Gather your steely resolve and carry
on. You can do it, and you'll thank yourself later!

Have you found an effective way to revive or maintain your interest in
exercise? We’d like to hear about it in the comments below.

Popular Categories

The general information presented by HealthCalling is not intended to serve
as medical advice or as a diagnosis. Please get in touch with your primary
care physician for any medical concerns. For suggested topics and comments
on our stories, please connect with us via our
contact us form.